Kinesiology Commons^™

Managerial Labor Mobility In The National Football League, Jeremy Joseph Foreman

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Within the present dissertation, determinants of leader dismissals, promotions, and demotions are explored. A model of CEO dismissals is adapted to the context of the National Football League (NFL), whereby head coaches represent CEOs. Building upon empirical studies of the CEO dismissal model, a proxy is established which is representative of actual candidates to replace an executive rather than proxies based on industry and firm characteristics. Using the proxy for candidates provided statistically insignificant results that challenge the theoretical relationship between candidate availability and executive dismissals. Additionally, the present dissertation proposed and found empirical justification for incorporating an additional socio-political …

Kinetic And Kinematic Variables Related To Medial Elbow Joint Space In Collegiate Baseball Pitchers, Meghan Reid Jackson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is a prime stabilizer in the elbow against valgus force. It is also a commonly injured structure in the overhead-throwing athlete. The majority of literature to date assesses the medial elbow by adding a valgus stress or evaluates the elbow after injury has occurred. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore static changes to the medial elbow and the relationship with the overhead throw. The first investigation sought to determine if there was a bilateral difference in the medial joint space of the elbow in general population college-aged students. There was no significant difference …

The Experiences Of Athletes, Parents, And Coaches With The Long-Term Athlete Development Model (Ltad) In Youth Soccer Academies, Kody Watson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Long-Term Athlete Development Model (LTAD) has been developed to allow children the best chance of engaging in lifelong sport and physical activity. The LTAD focuses on long-term development, not short-term success, which allows for the best opportunity of sport participation and optimal sport potential throughout life (Balyi, Way, & Higgs, 2013). Research surrounding the LTAD model has stated that there is a lack of empirical evidence of the model being utilized within sport, as some researchers believe that it is more theoretical than practical (Lloyd & Oliver, 2012). However, even with this criticism of the LTAD model, Canadian sport …

An Evaluation Of Older Adults’ Perceptions Of Psychological Well-Being When Participating In Community Centre Programs, Kayla Rellinger

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Multi-purpose organizations, such as community centres, provide opportunities for individuals to participate in various physical and social activities. Although, it has been well established that community centres provide the opportunity and environment to promote health behaviour changes among older adults (Jones et al., 2013; Stewart, 1997; Wallace et al., 1998), there is a dearth of research differentiating between physically active and non-active community centre programming. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate whether participating in community centre programming influenced four key measures of perceived psychological well-being, as well as, to evaluate whether the perceived psychological well-being of community …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Intervertebral Disc Puncture, Inflammation, And Tissue Mechanics Using A Rat-Tail Model., Brigitte Laird

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Introduction: The intervertebral disc (IVD) is composed of the annulus fibrosus (AF), which surrounds and contains the nucleus pulposus (NP). It is hypothesized that when the IVD becomes injured, in the case of IVD herniation, a localized innate immune response is initiated. Although the presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines in injured IVDs has been well documented, the extent to which inflammation affects the mechanical properties of the IVD remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of IVD damage (via puncture) and inflammation (via lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure) on the mechanical and structural properties of the IVD. …

Task-Dependent Modulation Of Cortical Excitability And Balance Control In Individuals With Post-Concussion Syndrome, Kristen Kaster, Jayne M. Kalmar Ms., Michael E. Cinelli Mr

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In most cases, symptoms resolve between 7-10 days post-concussion. However, in 10-15% of the concussed population, symptoms can remain unresolved for months to years following the head injury. The purpose of this thesis was two-fold, and was broken up into two studies, where the same individuals participated in both studies. The purpose of the first study was to quantify the differences in balance control between individuals with PCS (i.e., had been experiencing symptoms for <30 days) and non-concussed individuals during a lower-limb reaching task. Participants completed a static balance assessment before and after a lower-limb reaching task, which incorporated a Go/No-Go paradigm. Results from this study revealed no differences in the static stability assessments, however, individuals with PCS demonstrated increased medial-lateral COP displacement as well as greater trunk pitch during the reaching task. Overall, the findings reveal persistent balance impairments in individuals with PCS, which may put this population at an increased risk of further injury. The purpose of the second study was to assess task-dependent modulation of cortical excitability prior to planned index finger abduction contractions comparing a non-concussed population to a population with PCS. The protocol in this study consisted of both single and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) which was applied prior to the beginning of 3 different tasks (i.e., a rest condition with no plan to contract, a precision contraction, and a powerful contraction). In addition to the three tasks, participants also had to respond to a Go/No-Go cue. The results of this study revealed an increase in excitability prior to a precision contraction in both non-concussed and PCS groups. No differences in task-dependent modulation were found between the two groups with respect to intracortical facilitation and inhibition, however a negative correlation between number of symptoms reported (SCAT3 symptom evaluation) and intracortical facilitation was revealed. The increase in corticospinal excitability prior to a precision contraction was not explained by the two cortical mechanisms we assessed and may therefore be due to spinal modulation or a different cortical mechanism. Overall, based on the results from this thesis, it appears that individuals with PCS have balance impairments, which may be a result of an inability to maximally activate their postural muscles. Furthermore, it appears that those individuals who reported a higher number of symptoms had greater reductions in intracortical facilitation, likely reflecting the heterogeneity of this clinical group.

The Effects Of A 12-Week Custom Foot Orthotic Intervention On The Intrinsic Muscles Of The Foot, And Dynamic Stability During Unexpected Gait Termination In Healthy Young Adults, Katrina Protopapas

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Introduction: Custom-made foot orthotics (CFO’s) are a commonly prescribed intervention to help individuals that are suffering from foot pain and foot disorders. However, the mechanisms of CFO’s are still poorly understood and are not well known. With the plantar intrinsic muscles of the foot being in direct contact with the CFO, it puts these structures at risk for disuse muscle atrophy as a result of being offloaded. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to determine the effect of a 12-week custom-made foot orthotic intervention on the intrinsic muscles of the foot and dynamic stability during unexpected gait termination. …

Peripheral Visual Motion Sensitivity In Previously Concussed, Asymptomatic Individuals, Alyssa Prangley

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Background: Individuals acquire information about self-motion from the environment which specifies actions necessary to be successful (Fajen & Matthis, 2011). However, concussed individuals demonstrate residual disturbance in execution of postural movement at 30 days post injury, depicting an impaired ability to perceive self-motion in a visually conflicting environment (Slobounov et al. 2006). The objective of this thesis was to investigate the extent to which one’s behaviours on a central field of view task are influenced by the amount and type of peripheral visual movement during a collision avoidance task, as well as to determine the additive effects of changes to …

Role Ambiguity Of Head Volleyball Coaches And Strength And Conditioning Coaches In Division I Athletics, Meredith Paskert

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Role ambiguity is common in interdependent organizations and can negatively affect employee performance and organizational effectiveness. NCAA Division I athletic departments are examples of interdependent organizations containing the collaboration of many specialized staff members. Therefore, collegiate athletic departments could be susceptible to the existence of role ambiguity. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of role ambiguity between head volleyball coaches and strength and conditioning coaches within a collegiate athletic department. Questionnaires were sent to head women’s volleyball coaches and their respective strength and conditioning coaches (who are in charge of creating and implementing strength and conditioning …

A Novel Approach To Enhancing Upper Extremity Coordination In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alejandra Sarahi Gamez Corral

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

With current estimates of 1 in 68 children being affected, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is regarded as one of the most rampant forms of disability globally. Although typically diagnosed through social impairment and repetitive stereotypical behavior, recent work has shown distinct motor impairments across the autism spectrum. These motor deficits can be gross or fine in nature and can be seen not only in reaching and grasping, but also in the kinematic composition of the actual movement, such as decreased velocity, decreased accuracy, irregular movement smoothness, etc. The goal of this study was to further the understanding of the kinematic …

Autonomic Modulation In Older Women: Using Resistance Exercise As A Countermeasure, Hayden Gerhart, Yu Lun Tai, Curtis Fennell, Xian Mayo, J. Derek Kingsley

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications

It is unclear if resistance training (RT) can be used to alter declines in autonomic modulation associated with aging. Young women (YW; range 18–25 yrs) and older women (OW; range 50–72 yrs) were compared at baseline. Only OW underwent supervised RT 2 days a week for 12-weeks. Baseline and post-training measurements included heart rate variability (HRV) and complexity (Sample Entropy) to assess autonomic modulation. The 12-weeks of RT consisted of 9 exercises performing 3 sets of 8–12 repetitions. At baseline, group differences in maximal strength, and autonomic modulation were evaluated with a one-way ANOVA with BMI as a covariate. In …

The Home Environment And Parenting Practices: Associations With Physical Activity And Sedentary Time In Preschool-Age Children, Emily C. Huber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Preschool-age children have the potential to be influenced by their physical home environment and their parents’ physical activity (PA) practices more than older children as preschool-age children are more reliant on parents for PA opportunities. Previous research with this focus has relied predominantly on various subjective assessments of child activity, often resulting in overestimation of PA and underestimation of sedentary time (ST). Collectively, this dissertation project explored the associations among home environment factors, parent PA practices, parent satisfaction of children’s body size and children’s PA and ST by utilizing objective measures of activity and the full range of PA intensities …

Benefits Of Movement For Academic Achievement And Classroom Behaviors, Alison A. Waltz

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this review is to discuss the benefits of using movement throughout the daily routine of an early childhood classroom. The research focused on using movement to increase literacy and mathematics knowledge, teach self-regulation skills and increase attention. and have different seating options that would allow for consistent movement. Findings of this review show that movement does have academic and behavioral benefits in the early childhood classroom. Limitations are recognized for the research presented and recommendations are given for ways to incorporate movement into the classroom. To conclude this review of literature. educational policies and future research are …

The Effect Of An Underwater Treadmill Aquatic Exercise Program On The Functional Ability Of K2, Trans-Tibial Unilateral Amputees, Jonathan D. Bailey

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of A Game Simulation On Muscle Activation And Knee Kinematics In Females, Geoffrey Collins

Theses and Dissertations

Intro: Female athletes experience non-contact ACL injuries at 5 times the rate of male athletes. These injuries occur more frequently at the end of halves and may be associated with exercise-induced fatigue causing knee instability. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effect of strenuous exercise on lateral knee movement during the landing phase of a jump. Methods: Ten subjects completed both the exercise and the control trial consisting of two 25-min game simulations on a treadmill or on a separate day the equivalent rest. Before, at half time, and immediately following the interventions subjects performed sets …

Gender Differences In Nonlinear Motor Performance Following Concussion, Breanna E. Studenka, Adam Raikes

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Purpose: To quantify differences in nonlinear aspects of performance on a seated visual-motor tracking task between clinically asymptomatic males and females with and without a self-reported mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) history.

Methods: Seventy-three individuals with a self-reported concussion history (age: 21.40 ± 2.25 years) and 75 without (age: 21.50 ± 2.00 years) completed the visual-motor tracking task. Participants pressed an index finger against a force sensor, tracing a line across a computer screen (visual-motor tracking). The produced signal's root-mean-square error (RMSE), sample entropy (SampEn, a measure of regularity), and average power (AvP) between 0 and 12 Hz were calculated. …

Physical Activity, Body Mass Index, And Clustered Metabolic Risk In U.S. Adolescents: 2007-2012 Nhanes., Bethany Dawn Williams

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: To examine variation in clustered metabolic risk (cMetS) in adolescents classified as not overweight/active (NOA), not overweight/not active (NONA), overweight/active (OA), and overweight/not active (ONA).

Background: While studies to date have shown that children and adolescents who meet the current physical activity (PA) recommendations and maintain a healthy body weight demonstrate significantly lower cardiometabolic risk, there are some studies that suggest the relationship between PA and metabolic risk may be mediated by adiposity.

Methods: The sample included adolescent participants (n=875; 12-17 years) of the 2007-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The cMetS score included triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein …

Vitamin D Status And Bone Mineral Density In Female Collegiate Dancers And Cheerleaders, Tara Sue Kenny, Damon Mccune, Laura J. Kruskall, James Navalta, John C. Young

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Research

Bone mineral density reflects an athlete’s cumulative history of energy availability, physical activity, and menstrual status, as well as nutritional and environmental factors. Although sports with high-impact loading are associated with higher bone mineral density than low-impact or non-impact sports, confounding variables are differences in the athletes’ body size and sport-specific training. The purpose of this study was to determine if bone mineral density (BMD) and vitamin D status are different between two groups of female collegiate athletes who have comparable body size/weight requirements, but who engage in qualitatively different training regimens. Full body, spine and dual femur BMD was …

Are Maximum Ground Forces And Leg Compression In Phase? A Test Of The Classical Spring Mass Model Of Running Gaits, Seth Donahue

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The mechanical understanding of human running has classically been described as a spring-mass system, with subsequent models predicting the movements of the body’s center of mass and the forces applied by the leg against the ground. A central requirement of any spring system is the phasic relationship between the length of the elastic elements and the forces applied to these structures. Specifically, elastic elements compress under load and extend as the load is released. We tested whether this model applies to individuals with specialization for extreme performance in human gait. Recent work from elite level sprint runners suggest that their …

Continuous Sweep Versus Discrete Step Protocols For Studying Effects Of Wearable Robot Assistance Magnitude, Philippe Malcolm, Denise Martineli Rossi, Christopher Siviy, Sangjun Lee, Brendan Thomas Quinlivan, Martin Grimmer, Conor J. Walsh

Journal Articles

Background: Different groups developed wearable robots for walking assistance, but there is still a need for methods to quickly tune actuation parameters for each robot and population or sometimes even for individual users. Protocols where parameters are held constant for multiple minutes have traditionally been used for evaluating responses to parameter changes such as metabolic rate or walking symmetry. However, these discrete protocols are time-consuming. Recently, protocols have been proposed where a parameter is changed in a continuous way. The aim of the present study was to compare effects of continuously varying assistance magnitude with a soft exosuit against …

The Influence Of Different Pre-Exercise Routines On Sprint Performance, Rok Mravljak

Masters Theses

Sprint performance can be enhanced by interventions for short-term (acute) purposes and/or long-term purposes. Acute neuromuscular responses are usually achieved by using different pre-exercise routines at the end of the warm-up period. Recently, there have been several studies examining the effects of various pre-exercise routines on sprint performance, yet there has not been a research study designed that compared the three most commonly used pre-exercise routines in professional and recreational sports (static stretching, dynamic stretching and foam-rolling). Therefore, this study investigated and compared the results of static stretching, dynamic stretching, self-myofascial release and the control group, in order to provide …

Exercise Is Medicine: The Exercise Habits And Attitudes Towards Exercise Counseling Of Medical Practitioners, Zoë Roberts

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research was to examine the exercise habits of practicing physicians, physician assistants (PA), and nurse practitioners (NP) in Illinois to better understand their attitudes towards counseling their patients on exercise, and to analyze the frequency that these health care providers incorporate exercise counseling into their practices. Current data has revealed the exercise habits of physicians and how it has influenced the physicians' exercise counseling behaviors. But PAs and NPs have not been included in research collectively as a medical team on the topic using exercise counseling and prescription for patient care and treatment. The research was …

Identifying The Function Of The Calpain Small Subunit In The Mechanics Of Cell Migration, Bingqing Hao

Wayne State University Dissertations

Cell migration plays a vital role in many physiological events including: morphogenesis, wound healing, and immune response. Dysfunctional cell migration results in multiple disease states including chronic inflammation, vascular disease, and tumor metastasis, to name a few. Progress in understanding the mechanism of cell migration had been slow until the turn of the century when rapid technological advances in microscopy and omics burst to the forefront. These advances led to the realization that physical factors (dimensions, fluid shear stress, hydrostatic pressure, compression stress, environmental stiffness, and topography) have profound effects on cell migration. This study of cell mechanics has expanded …

The Effect Of Myosync™ Supplementation On Physical Performance In Division Ii College Football Players, Matthew Gage

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effect of Myosync™ on physical performance in Division II football players. Methods: Fourteen male Division II football players (20.4 ± 1.0 years) participated in a randomized double blind crossover experiment. Subjects were either given Myosync™ or a placebo control 60 minutes prior to any physical testing measures. Testing consisted of, maximum vertical jumps, maximum voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC), maximal voluntary concentric contractions (MVCC), and fatiguing contractions for the knee extensor muscles. Recovery measures consisted of one MVIC and MVCCs 10 minutes after fatiguing task. Results: There was no …

Age Differences In Dynamic Fatigability And Variability Of Arm And Leg Muscles: Associations With Physical Function, Jonathon Senefeld, Tejin Yoon, Sandra K. Hunter

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction

It is not known whether the age-related increase in fatigability of fast dynamic contractions in lower limb muscles also occurs in upper limb muscles. We compared age-related fatigability and variability of maximal-effort repeated dynamic contractions in the knee extensor and elbow flexor muscles; and determined associations between fatigability, variability of velocity between contractions and functional performance.

Methods

35 young (16 males; 21.0 ± 2.6 years) and 32 old (18 males; 71.3 ± 6.2 years) adults performed a dynamic fatiguing task involving 90 maximal-effort, fast, concentric, isotonic contractions (1 contraction/3 s) with a load equivalent to 20% maximal voluntary isometric …

British Services Dhaulagiri Medical Research Expedition: A Unique Military And Civilian Research Collaboration, Adrian Mellor, Josh Bakker-Dyos, Marc Howard, Christopher Boos, Mark Cooke, Emmanuel Vincent, Peter Scott, John O'Hara, Sarah B. Clarke, Matt Barlow, Jamie Matu, Kevin Deighton, Caroline Newman, Richard Cruttenden, David Holdsworth, David Woods

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Changes In Appetite, Energy Intake, Body Composition And Circulating Ghrelin Constituents During An Incremental Trekking Ascent To High Altitude, Jamie Matu, John O'Hara, Neil Hill, Sarah B. Clarke, Christopher Boos, Caroline Newman, David Holdsworth, Theocharis Ispoglou, Lauren Duckworth, David Woods, Adrian Mellor, Kevin Deighton

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of An 8-Week Stabilization Exercise Program On The Lumbopelvic Rhythm And Flexion-Relaxation Phenomenon, Ali Shahvarpour, Sharon M. Henry, Richard Preuss, Hakim Mecheri, Christian Larivière

Études primaires

Background

Lumbar stabilization exercise programs should normalize the aberrant movements patterns often observed in patients with low back pain. This study aimed to determine the effect of an 8-week lumbar stabilization program on EMG/kinematics measures of the aberrant movement patterns in such patients. A secondary goal was to assess the 8-week test-retest reliability of these measures.

Methods

The patients followed an 8-week lumbar stabilization program while no intervention was carried out on the controls. Before and after this period, kinematics of the spine along with the EMG of paraspinal muscles were recorded during trunk maximal flexion-extension. ANOVAs tested the effect …

Validation Of Inertial Measurement Units With An Optoelectronic System For Whole-Body Motion Analysis, Xavier Robert-Lachaine, Hakim Mecheri, Christian Larue, André Plamondon

Études primaires

The potential of inertial measurement units (IMUs) for ergonomics applications appears promising. However, previous IMUs validation studies have been incomplete regarding aspects of joints analysed, complexity of movements and duration of trials. The objective was to determine the technological error and biomechanical model differences between IMUs and an optoelectronic system and evaluate the effect of task complexity and duration. Whole-body kinematics from 12 participants was recorded simultaneously with a full-body Xsens system where an Optotrak cluster was fixed on every IMU. Short functional movements and long manual material handling tasks were performed and joint angles were compared between the two …

Comparative Effectiveness Of An Exercise And Sedentary Break Intervention On Mood Profile And Dietary Behavior In Young Adults: Pilot Study, Hannah Dau

Honors Theses

Exercise and sedentary behavior are both important subsets of PA (Physical Activity) to study, with emerging research demonstrating that sedentary behavior may predict mental health outcomes independent of PA. Additionally, a correlation has been observed between diet and PA, but few studies on this topic have employed an intervention design. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine whether changes in PA and sedentary behavior influence mood profile and dietary behavior. The PA intervention consisted of progressively increasing their vigorous-intensity PA (jogging) over a 4-week period among an inactive population. The sedentary group was asked not to exercise, but …